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7346128
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Remarks of the President at the Texas State Fair [Ford Speech or Statement]
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7346128
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document
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Remarks of the President at the Texas State Fair [Ford Speech or Statement]
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White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
Press Releases
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1976-10-09
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1976
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Digitized from Box 32 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OCTOBER 9, 1976
OFFICE OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
(Dallas, Texas)
THE WHITE HOUSE
L.S.
REMARKS OF THE PRESIDENT
AT THE
TEXAS STATE FAIR
HALL OF STATE BUILDING.
12:37 P.M. CDT
Governor Briscoe, Mrs. Briscoe, Governor
Connally and Mrs. Connally, Mayor Folsom, Wayne Gallagher,
distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:
It is always great to be back in Texas, and
especially in Dallas, and I thank you.
I am deeply honored to have the privilege of
opening your world-famous State Fair. John Connally has
just given me a preview of the livestock barns. John is
an expert on cattle, swine and sheep, just like he is an
expert on national security and Government from Austin
to Washington, D. C., and thank you very much, John. There
is a lot left to see, but I have learned one thing: When
Texans talk about the fine things you produce in Texas,
whether it is cattle or cotton, spaceships or sheep,
pecans or petroleum, you are really not bragging, you are
really just being modest. Even your peanuts taste better
to me. (Laughter)
I am told you produce pretty good football teams.
Good luck this afternoon. Nobody wants to stand or sit in
the sun on a beautiful football Saturday in October and
listen to a long Presidential address. I will tell you
what. When we have the Ford-Dole inauguration down in
Washington next January, you all come.
Let me take just a minute to thank you for your
Texas hospitality and heartwarming welcome. I wasn't
surprised -- I have been here before, it is always great.
But it is wonderful to be among Americans who are just
born friendly and hospitable.
Texans are born patriotic, also. I first got
to know a great deal about Texans when I was, of all
places, in the middle of the Pacific. In that war,
America's survival and the fate of freedom in the world
were in the steady hands of great Texans and great Americans
like Chester Nimitz and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
MORE
(OVER)
Page 2
The Texans that I knew personally on the ship
which I served had the same high caliber of character.
On our carrier, we not only had plenty of native Texans
but a lot of men who trained here in the State of Texas
and are probably Texans now. We did everything on that
ship except fly the Lone Star battle flag.
When I first went to Congress I learned the
ropes from legislative giants like Mr. Sam Rayburn and
Lyndon Johnson. I made good friends like George Mahon,
George Bush, John Tower and Tiger Teague, among others,
from your great State.
What always impressed me the most was the way
Texans put their country above their political party when
America's fundamental interests were at stake. I saw
them time and again rally around the President, whoever
he might be, when he was dealing in the high stakes of
peace and war.
The corroboration and support that Speaker Sam
Rayburn and Senator Lyndon Johnson gave to President
Eisenhower when he was Commander-in-Chief became my
example when President Johnson faced those same tough
calls on foreign policy and national security, and
although we had our differences, Lyndon Johnson never
distorted the truth when discussing the tough issues
affecting America's strength.
In the coming weeks and future years, I really
hope that this bipartisan tradition of responsibility
and unity beyond the water's edge can survive in American
politics. It is an important part of our national
strength, as Texans taught me.
You never heard a Texan tell the world our
country is not strong any more. You never heard a Texan
proclaim that America is not respected any more. You never
heard a Texan allege that the American people have lost
their pride in America's strength and its moral integrity.
It isn't only the eyes of Texas that are upon
us. The eyes of the whole world are on the United States
of America this year, not just for the Fourth of July
when we celebrated a glorious 200th anniversary, but also
on November 2.
We are on display as mueh as all the entries
in this great Texas State Fair. We have been the world
champion of liberty and self-government for the last 200
years.
We are proud of our trophies. We are proud
of our material strength and even more of America's
moral strength. We are respected for all of these and
many other things. Let's gèt our third century off to a
good start skipping over the little things but standing
together tall and strong on the big things that affect
us at home and abroad -- big things like peace through
strength, peace with freedom. That is the spirit that made
Texas great, that made America great. That is the spirit
we can show the world in 1976.
Thank you very much.
END
(AT 12:41 P.M. CDT)